Improvement in needle-guards



Fey 3 Patented April 10, 1860.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOS. CHAS. HOIVELLS, OF MADISON, IVISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN NEEDLE-GUARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 27,805, dated April 10, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH CHARLES How- ELLs, of Madison, in the county of Dane and State of WVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Needle-Guards, Hemmer, Gage, and Knife; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of an improvement in needle-guards and hemmers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of my needle-guard with the hemmer, stitching-gage, and knife attached. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end View.

My needle-guard may be made of silver or other suitable material in the form shown at A of the accompanying drawings. This guard is intended to be worn on the index-finger of the left hand, in order to cover and protect from the needle that part of said finger usually lia? ble to be pricked in sewing by hand. This form requires less metal than a thimble for construction, and yet is both efficient and convenient. Upon the top of this needle-guard is attached a snail-formed hemmer, B, which operates similarly to the hemmer of a sewingmachine. At one side of the hemmer may be placed stitching-gage G, for marking the hand kerchief or other article to be hemmed or stiched, in order to guide the hem or stitch. This gage or marker prevents the necessity of pulling out a thread to guide the stitch. A knife, D, may also be attached to the hemmer. This knife has its edge placed interiorly, and so guarded as to be unable to cut aperson,and yet very convenient for cutting off the thread.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The edge of the handkerchief or other article to be hemmed is slipped under the marker or gage G and drawn along, pressing the cloth against the sharp edge of the gage, so as to mark a straight line across the handkerchief just where you wish to make the stitch. Then the edge of the handkerchief is put into the snail or hemmer B, so as to form the hem, and the stitching is commenced, care being taken to make the stitch follow the line previously marked on the cloth by the stitchinggage O.

I am aware that a knife has been attached to a thimble. Therefore I do not claim such invention, but confine myself in this respect to the use of the knife in combination with the hemmer. I believe this combination is a substantial improvement, without which my hemmer would be imperfect.

I claim As a new article of manufacture, the combi' nation of the needle-guard A and hemmer B,

whether the stitching-gage or knife be used therewith or not, substantially'as set forth, for the purposes specified.

JOSEPH CHARLES HOW'ELLS. \Vitnesses:

DANIEL BREED, W. S. CLAR 

